Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites said the long-awaited Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) Bill is ready to be submitted to the legislative committee when the formal session of the legislature begins in September.

Thwaites was speaking to a group of educators and JTC officials at a Master Teachers' Programme award ceremony and exhibition held at Medallion Hall Hotel on July 16. Eleven teachers were recognised for long and distinguished service as master teachers.

"I am pleased to say that we have reached a point now where the many modifications to an original draft can now be submitted to the legislative committee in order to be eventually placed before the full House," he said.

The Jamaica Teaching Council Bill seeks to provide for the establishment of a governing body for the teaching profession, and institute a regime for the licensing and registration of all government-paid teachers.

The council, through this Bill, would have legal power to immediately suspend and cancel the registration of a teacher who has been charged for a disqualifiable offence, inclusive of sexual offences, murder, pornography, robbery and fraud.